Laundry machine



March 1965 R. R. CANDOR ETAL 3,

LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1962 INVENTORS BY Wm. 7'. M

United States Patent 3,238,750 LAUNDRY MACHINE Robert R. Candor, Miami Township, Montgomery County, Ohio (5940 Munger Road, Dayton 59, Ohio), and James T. Candor, 144 Chevy Chase Drive, Centerville 59, Ohio Filed Aug. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 219,587 5 Claims. (Cl. 6820) This invention relates to an improved laundry machine for treating laundry and the like.

In particular, one embodiment of this invention comprises a substantially air-tight and non-collapsible confining means or structure having a rotatable foraminous carriage being adapted to support laundry or the like therein. Means are provided for selectively reducing and maintaining the air pressure inside the confining means at any selected pressure below the air pressure outside of the confining means.

.Inthis manner, when the laundry machine is being utilized as a drying machine for removing moisture from wet laundry disposed in the foraminous carriage, the moisture in the wet laundry more-readily evaporates in the reduced atmosphere in the confining means than it would evaporate if the confining means contained air at normal atmospheric conditions. 'By heating'thereduced atmosphere in the'confining means to a temperature to-cause the moisture in the wet laundry to boil, more rapid evaporation is effected without having to raise the temperature thereof ,to the normal boiling point of the moisture. In this same vein, auxiliary heating means can be dispensed with if the air pressure in the confining means is lowered to such an extent that the latent heat of the wet laundry is suflicient to cause the moisture to boil at the reduced atmospheric conditions.

When the laundry machine is being utilized to treat laundry with Water or the like, the atmosphere in the confining means can be lowered to such an extent that the latent heat of the water causes it to boil whereby the bubbling action of the boiling water further enhances the treatingof the laundry by the water or the like disposed in the laundry machine. In this same vein, auxiliary heat ing means may be utilized to supplement, the raising of the temperature of the water to boil at the reduced air pressure.

Therefore, it can be seen that the apparatus of this invention can be a washing machine, a drying machine, or a combination washing and drying machine and is thus designated as a laundry machine but may have uses other than operating on laundry and is not to be limited to such use. For example, the same can be utilized for a dry cleaning machine, etc.

7 Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved laundry machine having one or more of the novel features set forth above as hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent upon a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein.

FIGURE 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of an improved laundry machine of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a reduced cross-sectional view of the machine illustrated in FIGURE 1 and is taken on line 22 thereof.

Referring not to FIGURES 1 and 2, an improved laundry machine of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises an outer frame or casing 11 having an opening 12 for the passage of laundry and the like into and out of the machine 10.

A substantially air-tight, stationary drum 13 is disposed in the casing 11 and is supported therein by suitable supports 14. The drum 13 may have any desired configuration other than the spheroidal configuration illustrated, the important feature being that the drum 13 will not collapse when the air pressure inside the drum 13 is lowered to the desired pressure in a manner and for a purpose hereinafter described.

The drum 13 has an opening 15 provided therein for the passage of laundry and the like into and out of the drum 13. A suitable door 16 is hingedly mounted to the drum 13 and is adapted to open and close the opening 15 in the drum 13, the door 16, when in the closed position, being substantially air-tight and non-collapsible.

A foraminous carriage 17 is disposed in the drum 13 and is carried on a shaft 18 passing through the drum 13 and rotatably supported in bearings 19 and 20 respectively carried by the drum 13 and the casing 11. In this manner, the carriage 17 can be rotated in the drum 13 by a motor 21 driving a pulley 22 through a reducer 23, the pulley 22 being interconnected to a pulley 24 carried on the shaft 18 by a suitable belt drive 25 or the like.

The carriage 17 has a plurality of openings 26 passing therethrough, the openings 26 being large enough to readily permit the passage of Water or air or both therethrough.

An opening 27 is formed in one end of the carriage 17 to permit the passage of laundry into and out of the carriage 17, the opening 27 being aligned with the openings 15 and 12 provided respectively in the drum 13 and casing 11.

Suitable batfles 28 are carried on the inside peripheral surface of the carriage 17 to lift clothes on the rising side of the carriage 17 as the carriage rotates.

A suction nozzle 29 is disposed between the carriage 17 and drum 13 and is operatively interconnected to the inlet side of a suitable suction pump 30 by a conduit means 31.

The suction nozzle 29 has its open end disposed adjacent the outer peripheral surface of the carriage 17 and can extend completely across the carriage 17 or partially across the same, as desired. Further, the nozzle 29 may be movable toward and away from the carriage 17 in any of the manners set forth in the co-pending application, Serial Number 839,232, filed September 10, 1959, now abandoned, and entitled Laundry Machine.

In any event, the suction pump 30, when operating, is adapted to suck moisture and air from wet laundry disposed in the carriage 17 directly through the foraminous carriage 17 into the nozzle 29 and, thus, into the inlet side of the pump 30 in a manner more fully described hereinafter.

The moisture, vapor and air drawn from the drum 13 is forced out of the outlet side of the pump 30 into a conduit means 32 which decreases in cross sectional area to cause the air delivered by the pump 30 to be compressed in the conduit means 32 and, thereby, give up at least part of its moisture into the conduit means 32.

The moisture present in the conduit means 32 flows downwardly through a conduit 33 into a compartment 34, the bottom of the compartment being interconnected to a conduit 35 leading to a drain conduit 36.

A suitable float valve 37 is disposed in the compartment 34 and normally closes off the conduit 35. However, as the moisture collects in the compartment 34, the rising level of the moisture floats the float 38 upwardly to open the valve 37 and let part of the moisture in the compartment flow to the drain 36.

In this manner, the compressed air in the conduit 32 does not pass to drain 36 because there is always a certain amount of moisture covering the inlet of the conduit 35.

The conduit means 32 lead to a suitable condenser 39 comprising a compartment 40 having a cooling coil 41 disposed therein. Suitable cooling means, such as water and the like, can enter the coil 41 through the inlet 42 and be expelled out through the outlet 43.

In this manner, the air being forced into the compartment 40 from the conduit 32, passes over the cooling coil 41 whereby any vapor in the air condenses and falls to the bottom of the compartment 40, the outlet end of the conduit 32 being disposed above the bottom of the compartment 40 to prevent the condensed moisture from entering the conduit 32.

Condensed moisture in the compartment is fed to the conduit 35 by a conduit 44, the end of the conduit 44 disposed in the compartment 40 being below the free end of the conduit 32.

After the air passes over the cooling coil 41, the dried air can be expelled to the atmosphere or vented, as desired.

Alternately, the air can be fed from the cooling chamber 40 through a conduit 45 having an outlet end 46 so positioned for a purpose hereinafter described.

A second suction means can be carried by the machine and can comprise a suction nozzle 47 disposed closely adjacent the carriage 17 and inside the drum 13, the nozzle 47 being interconnected to the inlet side of a suction pump 48 by a conduit 49.

The outlet side of the pump 48 is interconnected to the conduit 45 by a branch conduit 50.

The conduits 31 and 49 pass through the drum 13 and have flexible sealing means 51 connected thereto and to the drum 13 to prevent air and water leakage from drum 13 into the housing 11.

The interior of the drum 13 is interconnected to the drain conduit 36 by a conduit 52, the conduit 52 having a suitable solenoid operated valve 53 therein.

An electrical heater 54 is disposed between the drum 13 and carriage 17 and is operated in a conventional manner.

The drum 13 has an opening 55 formed therein which is controlled by a valve member 56 normally urged to the closed position by a spring 57. The valve member 56 is moved to the opened position thereof by the energization of a solenoid 58.

Another opening 59 is formed in drum 13 adjacent the outlet 46 of the conduit 45, the opening 59 being controlled by a valve member 60 normally being urged to its closed position by a spring 61 disposed between the valve member 60 and a support 62 adjustably carried on bolts 63 attached to the drum 13.

In this manner, the force of the compression spring 61 tending to hold the valve member 60 in the closed position thereof can be selectively varied.

Water is adapted to be fed into the drum 13 by a conduit 64 having conventional valve means 65.

The operation of the laundry machine 10 will now be described.

Soiled laundry or the like and soap or detergent are introduced into the carriage 17 of the laundry machine 10 through the door in a conventional manner.

Thereafter, the door 15 is closed and wash water of the desired temperature is adapted to be introduced into the drum 13 through the conduit 64, the valve means 65 and 53 being selectively operated to permit the water introduced into the drum 13 to rise to the desired level.

Thereafter, the carriage 17 is rotated to cause a tumbling action of the clothes through the wash water in a conventional manner.

During this washing cycle, the solenoid 58 can be operated to open the valve member 56 so that the Washing action can take place with normal atmospheric conditions existing in the drum 13.

Alternately, one feature of this invention can be utilized during the washing cycle of the laundry machine 10.

In particular, the solenoid 58 can be so actuated that the valve member 56 is disposed in sealing relation against the opening 55 in the drum 13.

Thereafter, the suction pump 48 is operated to cause the suction nozzle 47 to tend to reduce the pressure of the air in the drum 13 below normal atmospheric conditions existing outside the drum 13.

By proper regulation of the force of the compression spring 61 acting on the valve member 60, the suction means 47 and the valve means 60 permits the air pressure inside the drum 13 to be reduced to and maintained at a selected pressure below normal atmospheric pressure.

The amount of reduction of the air pressure in the drum 13 coupled with the latent heat of the wash water will cause the wash water to boil even though the wash water is at approximately degrees Fahrenheit or the like.

It is believed that this boiling action of the wash water during the wash cycle will enhance the dirt removing action of the wash water on the soiled laundry or the like.

While the heater 54 is illustrated as being in the upper region of the laundry machine 10 it is to be understood that the heater 54 can be disposed in the lower region thereof whereby the same will be submerged in the wash water so that the heater 54 can be utilized to heat up or maintain the temperature of the wash water at a selected temperature so that the suction means 47 can cause the wash Water to continuously boil during the wash cycle.

Alternately another heater could be utilized.

Thereafter, the wash water is drained through the drain 52 by opening the solenoid valve 53 in a conventional manner and opening the valve member 56.

Subsequently, one or more rinse cycles can be utilized whereby rinse water is introduced through the conduit 64 in much the same manner as the wash water and the carriage 17 is rotated to tumble the laundry through the rinse water.

During the rinsing cycle it may be desired to also use the suction means 47 to reduce the air pressure in the drum 13 below normal atmospheric pressure, and, in combination with the valve means 60, to maintain the air pressure in the drum 13 a selected reduced air pressure.

Thus, the rinse water will also tend to bubble or boil, the rinse water either being hot itself or being heated by the heater means 54 as desired.

After the rinse water has been drained from the drum 13, the laundry machine 10 is now adapted to perform a drying operation.

After the water has been drained from the drum 13 by opening the valve means 53, the suction pump 30 is turned on whereby the suction nozzle 29 forms a sucking action on the clothes being accumulated in the carriage 17 to tend to draw moisture therefrom out to the outlet 32 as set forth in the aforementioned copending application.

During this drying action, the carriage 17 can be continuously rotated to continuously bring new accumulations of clothes adjacent to the suction nozzle 29.

However, while the suction nozzle 29 is removing moisture from the wet laundry, the valve means 56 can be closed and the suction means 29, in combination with the valve means 60, can reduce and maintain the air pressure in the drum 13 at a selected air pressure below the normal atmospheric air pressure outside the drum 13.

If the air pressure inside the drum 13 is reduced to such an extent that the latent heat of the wet laundry in combination with the reduced air pressure will cause the moisture in the wet clothes to more readily evaporate than if the air pressure was not reduced.

Further, the heater element 54 can be turned on whereby the air that is drawn through the valve means 60 passes over the heater 54 to heat up the wet laundry so that the moisture in the wet laundry more readily tends to evaporae in the reduced atmosphere produced in the drum 13.

Thus, as the moisture is being continuously withdrawn or sucked from the wet laundry by the suction means 29, the suction means 29 also cooperates with the valve means 60 to reduce and maintain the air pressure in the drum 13 at a selected reduced air pressure below the normal atmospheric air pressure outside the drum 13 to more readily evaporate the moisture from the wet laundry.

If desired, the suction means 47 can also be operating during this time to assist the nozzle in reducing the air pressure in the carriage 13.

Alternately, only the suction means 47 can be utilized during the drying action whereon the suction means 47 cooperates with the valve means 60 to reduce the air pressure in the drum 13 to such an extent that, in combination with either the heated air coming through the valve means 60 and over the heater element 54 or the latent heat of the wet laundry, the moisture in the wet laundry tends to readily evaporate and pass out through the suction nozzle 47 in the above manner.

If desired, the combination of the heat of the wet laundry and the reduced air pressure can be so arranged that moisture in the wet laundry actually boils at a low temperature that will not adversely effect the laundry.

Therefore, it can be seen that the apparatus of this invention not only provides improved means for treating laundry or the like with Water or the like by causing the water to boil or bubble, but also the apparatus of this invention provides improved means for removing moisture from wet laundry by a suction action and/or by an evaporative action for drying the laundry.

After the laundry has been dried in the above manner, the operation of the machine is terminated and the dry laundry can be removed from the laundry machine 10 in the conventional manner.

While the above operation of the laundry machine 10 has been described as being a continuous operation, it is to be understood that each of applicants novel features can be separately used or in various combinations thereof in other laundry machines or the like.

For example, applicants drying apparatus need not be utilized with a washing machine and conversely, applicants washing apparatus may not be utilized with a drying machine.

While the laundry machine 10 has been described as completely drying the wet laundry it is to be understood that the drying operations of applicants invention can be utilized merely for removing enough moisture from the wet laundry thereof for the desired purpose whereby the conventional centrifuging operation can be eliminated.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry machine comprising a substantially airtight and non-collapsible confining means, said confining means having air inlet restriction means, said confining means having movable surface means provided with at least a non-absorbent foraminous portion, means for moving said surface means to produce different accumulations of wet laundry on one side of said foraminous portion thereof, first nozzle inlet means disposed in substantially sealed relation against the other side of said foraminous portion, first suction means, said first suction means being operatively interconnected to said first nozzle inlet means to tend to suck moisture from said wet laundry and through said foraminous portion into said suction means in unimpeded relation between the layer of laundry on said one side of said foraminous portion and said first nozzle inlet means when said laundry is aligned with said first nozzle inlet means and While said foraminous portion is being moved, said first suction means also cooperating with said air inlet restriction means to reduce and maintain the air pressure in said confining means below the air pressure surrounding the exterior of said laundry machine, said first suction means also tending to draw a large volume of said reduced air pressure in said confining means through said wet laundry and said foraminous portion into said first suction means in unimpeded relation between the layer of laundry on said one side of said foraminous portion and said first nozzle inlet means when said laundry is aligned with said first nozzle inlet means and while said foraminous portion is being moved, and a second suction means having a second nozzle inlet means disposed in said confining means cooperating with said restriction means to reduce and maintain the air pressure in said confining means below the air pressure surrounding the exterior of said laundry machine.

2. A laundry machine as set forth in claim 1 and including heater means disposed in said confining means to heat said reduced air pressure therein.

3. A laundry machine comprising a substantially air tight and non-collapsible confining means, said confining means having air inlet restriction means, said confining means having movable surface means. provided with at least a non-absorbent foraminous portion, means to move said surface means to provide different accumulations of laundry on one side of said foraminous portion, a first and a second suction means, means to introduce a body of water in said confining means to wash laundry therein, said first suction means cooperating with said air inlet restriction means to reduce and maintain the air pressure in said confining means below the air pressure surrounding said laundry machine to cause said body of water to boil at a temperature below its normal boiling temperature and assist the action of said body of water in removing foreign matter from said laundry, nozzle inlet means disposed in substantially sealed relation against the other side of said foraminous portion, and means to remove said body of water in said confining means to leave wet laundry therein that forms an accumulation on said forarninous portion, said second suction means being operatively interconnected to said nozzle inlet means to tend to suck moisture from said wet laundry and through said foraminous portion into said nozzle inlet means in unimpeded relation between the layer of laundry on said one side of said foraminous portion and said nozzle inlet means when said laundry is aligned with said nozzle inlet means and while said foraminous portion is being moved.

4. A laundry machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second suction means tends to draw a large volume of said reduced air pressure through said wet laundry and said foraminous portion into said second suction means to tend to dry said accumulation.

5. A laundry machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein heater means is disposed in said confining means to heat said reduced air pressure.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,316 10/1896 LeBlois et al 8149.1

923,971 6/1909 Hey 6819 1,172,296 2/1916 Lester 6858 2,023,013 12/1935 Faber et a1. 8149.1 2,094,501 9/1937 Schmitz 8159 2,126,426 8/1938 Traube 68-20 X 2,652,708 9/1953 Rimsha ct al 68-20 2,655,803 10/1953 Richardson 68-15 2,777,313 1/1957 Dodge 6820 2,858,688 11/1958 Smith 8159 2,929,674 3/1960 Tann 8-137 2,936,212 11/ 1960 Karrer 8'-158 2,979,934 4/1961 Cutten 68-177 3,013,422 12/1961 Amidon 68-177 3,050,975 8/1962 Pinder 68-20 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

A. H. WINKELSTEIN, WILLIAM I. PRICE, Examiners. 

1. A LAUNDRY MACHINE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY AIRTIGHT AND NON-COLLAPSIBLE CONFINING MEANS, SAID CONFINING MEANS HAVING AIR INLET RESTRICTION MEANS, SAID CONFINING MEANS HAVING MOVABLE SURFACE MEANS PROVIDED WITH A LEAST A NON-ABSORBENT FORMINOUS PORTION, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SURFACE MEANS TO PRODUCE DIFFERENT ACCUMULATIONS OF WET LAUNDRY ON ONE SIDE OF SAID FORMINOUS PORTION THEREOF, FIRST NOZZLE INLET MEANS DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY SEALED RELATION AGAINST THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION, FIRST SUCTION MEANS, SAID FIRST SUCTION MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTED TO SAID FIRST NOZZLE INLET MEANS TO TEND TO SUCK MOISTURE FROM SAID WET LAUNDRY AND THROUGH SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION INTO SAID SUCTION MEANS IN UNIMPEDED RELATION BETWEEN THE LAYER OF LAUNDRY ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION AND SAID FIRST NOZZLE INLET MEANS WHEN SAID LAUNDRY IS ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST NOZZLE INLET MEANS AND WHILE SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION IS BEING MOVED, SAID FIRST SUCTION MEANS ALSO COOPERATING WITH SAID AIR INLET RESTRICTION MEANS TO REDUCE AND MAINTAIN THE AIR PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINING MEANS BELOW THE AIR PRESSURE SURROUNDING THE EXTERIOR OF SAID LAUNDRY MACHINE, SAID FIRST SUCTION MEANS ALSO TENDING TO DRAW A LARGE VOLUME OF SAID REDUCED AIR PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINGING MEANS THROUGH SAID WET LAUNDRY AND SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION INTO SAID FIRST SUCTION MEANS IN UNIMPEDED RELATION BETWEEN THE LAYER OF LAUNDRY ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION AND SAID FIRST NOZZLE INLET MEANS WHEN SAID LAUNDRY IS ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST NOZZLE INLET MEANS AND WHILE SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION IS BEING MOVED, AND A SECOND SUCTION MEANS HAVING A SECOND NOZZLE INLET MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID CONFINING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID RESTRICTION MEANS TO REDUCE AND MAINTAIN THE AIR PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINING MEANS BELOW THE AIR PRESSURE SURROUNDING THE EXTERIOR OF SAID LAUNDRY MACHINE. 